textproduct: Amarillo

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 1240 AM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026

- Slight chance 10-30% of storms in the southern Panhandle late this afternoon evening.

- Hot temperatures continue through early next week and there is a Heat Advisory is in effect for the southeast Texas Panhandle.

- Modest shift in the pattern is expected to bring slightly cooler temperatures and a return to thunderstorms in the area by middle of next week.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 114 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026

H5 ridge will remain in control and will continue to promote heat through the weekend with portions of the SE Texas Panhandle (along with Borger and PDC of course) reaching advisory levels. Given warm overnight temperatures, we extended the advisory in effect today through the night and to 9 PM Friday. We included most of the SE Texas Panhandle to an advisory that begins at noon Friday (expanding on current footprint). The monsoon plume does remain across the area and while the high will really suppress overall TSTM coverage, there is just enough weak s/wv energy at peak heating times riding around the high center and across the area to promote isolated to scattered TSTMs across southern areas late this aftn and evening with very isolated storms (less than 20% chance) for central and southern areas Fri and Sat during the same timeframe. Any storms that form would have potential to produce very localized severe downbursts although probabilities are low enough that SPC is not including this small area in a marginal threat attm.

Gittinger

LONG TERM

(Saturday through next Wednesday) Issued at 114 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026

Heat continues into early next week and Monday may be the hottest day of the period for some (including AMA) per the NBM. The H5 high center is forecast by current operational runs of the GEM, ECMWF and GFS to retreat WSW by mid-week which allows modest decrease in temps toward the end of the forecast period. More importantly this brings NW flow and upper level s/wvs back into the fold and there are enough favorable ensemble members for storms that the NBM is showing solid chc/sct POPs (30-60% - favoring NW) each evening from Tuesday through Thursday. Of course, this was the cast last week for the middle of this week and the ridge ended up holding strong, so we will remain cautiously optimistic wrt this subtle but important pattern change.

Gittinger

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1230 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026

VFR conditions will generally prevail outside of any very isolated storms in the area. AMA has the best chance for storms in the area, but even there chances/coverage of these is too low to include in TAFs and will amend as needed. Storm coverage will be greatest between 22 and 4 UTC.

Gittinger

AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Heat Advisory from noon to 9 PM CDT Friday for TXZ008>010-014- 015-018-019.

Heat Advisory until 9 PM CDT Friday for TXZ020-317.

OK...None.